Close
by trinity-matrix-13
Summary: “You didn’t think I’d find the fact that someone was threatening my partner relevant?” Someone is after Olivia. Will this be the case that pushes the detectives over the edge? OE friendship, maybe more...
1. It Begins

**1:48 a.m.**

**Apartment of Olivia Benson**

**Tuesday, June 28**

Olivia Benson lay deep in sleep, her head resting peacefully on a thin pillow. She sighed softly as she unconsciously rolled over. The small apartment was deathly quiet, having not even a leaky tap to break the silence. That was, until the phone rang.

Olivia groaned as she fumbled to find her cell phone on the nightstand. "Benson", she answered groggily.

"Hey 'Liv." It was her partner, Elliot Stabler. "Cap says we've got a DB - homicide called us over there. Corner of Main and Broadway."

"I'll be there in fifteen," Olivia replied as she climbed out of bed.

**2:03 a.m.**

**Corner of Main and Broadway**

**Tuesday, June 28**

"What do we got?" Olivia called to her partner as she climbed out of her car.

"Caucasian female, early twenties. M.E. places TOD somewhere between eleven last night and one this morning", Elliot replied.

"Okay…so why'd homicide call us?", Olivia asked as she and Stabler approached the body.

"Vic was raped and beaten before being strangled…with this", M. E. Warner replied, holding up a thin black cord.

"Killer left the murder weapon behind?", inquired Elliot.

"That's not the only thing he left…" Warner replied, motioning to a small white box lying near the victim's head. Olivia bent down and, slipping on a pair of latex gloves, picked the box up. She slowly untied the red lace ribbon holding the box closed and slid off the lid. Inside were a single red rose and a small slip of paper. Carefully, Olivia removed and the paper and unfolded it. It contained a type-written message:

_My Dearest Olivia, _

_See You Soon._

Seemingly ignoring the message, Olivia handed both the paper and the box over to the nearest CSU investigator. "I want both of these dusted for prints ASAP." The young man nodded and placed them in an evidence bag.

"What did the note say?" Elliot asked his partner earnestly.

"Nothing…it was blank." Olivia replied curtly before heading back toward her car.

Elliot stood still, watching Olivia's retreating back. "She really thinks I can't tell when she's lying?" he asked aloud.

**A/N** Hey guys. Alright, this is my first fanfic, so I'd really appreciate it if you could let me know what you think. If there's something that needs changing, tell me, I'm open to criticism. Anyway, the next chapters will be much longer. Hope you enjoyed it!


	2. Coincidence

**7:45 a.m.**

**Special Victims Unit Squad Room**

**Tuesday June 28**

Olivia entered the squad room to find Elliot already there, staring intently at something on his desk. Olivia cursed under her breath when she realized what it was he was looking at. Sitting in front of him was the clear evidence bag containing the white box…and the note. "Do your 'blank' notes always contain messages Olivia?" Elliot asked sarcastically as she sat down.

"Where'd you get that?" Olivia asked, avoiding his eyes.

"CSU dropped it off, no prints, not even a partial. They figure the guy wore gloves while he wrote his 'blank' message." Elliot snapped.

Olivia sighed. "Elliot, I'm sorry I didn't tell you what the note said. I just, didn't think you'd find it relevant to our investigation…"

"You didn't think I'd find the fact that someone was threatening my partner relevant?" he asked incredulously.

"Please just drop it Elliot, it wasn't even a threat." Olivia answered shortly.

" 'My dearest Olivia, see you soon'…it's pretty hard to ignore what _that's_ implying." he replied angrily.

"Elliot, can you just stop worrying about me for one minute? I'm not a civilian; I can take care of myself…" Olivia was cut short by the appearance of Captain Donald Cragen.

"So, where are we on the Jane Doe from last night?" he asked his two detectives.

"Caucasian female, early twenties, raped, beaten and strangled sometime between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. M.E. should have more details by now; we're on our way over to meet her." Olivia answered.

"Anything else?" Cragen asked, his eyes flitting to the evidence bag on Stabler's desk.

Elliot glanced at his partner. Her eyes were begging him, pleading with him to keep his mouth shut. He sighed; sometimes he hated those eyes of hers. "No, that's all we've got." he answered.

"Well then, I guess you two had better get to work", their Captain replied bluntly.

**  
8:30 a.m.**

**One Police Plaza**

**Tuesday, June 28**

Olivia and Elliot arrived at the coroner's office a short while later. They stepped into the autopsy room to find Warner completing the report on their victim. While they waited for her to finish up, the two detectives glanced over the Jane Doe's body. Neither of them had really gotten a good look at the victim at the crime scene, the white box having attracted most of their attention. As Elliot took in the young woman's features, he couldn't help but notice how much she resembled his partner, right down to the hair cut. His brain was suddenly flooded with terrible images of a badly beaten Olivia lying dead on the slab in front of him. The sound of the M.E.'s voice made him jump.

"You ready?" Warner asked, slightly impatiently.

"Yeah, yeah…what have you got for us?" Stabler replied hastily.

"Well for starters, I've got a name. I ran her fingerprints through the system and came up with a hit off a workplace prints card. 'Ainslie White', lives in Manhattan, address is in there." Warner said as she handed a computer printout on Ainslie White over to Olivia.

"So what can you tell us about cause of death?" Elliot asked as Olivia looked over the print-out.

"Preliminary cause of death remains strangulation with a thin ligature, most likely the black cord found at the crime scene. However, she took a pretty good beating before hand" the M.E. answered, motioning to the extensive bruising on Ainslie White's body. "Also, lividity indicates she died on her back, but we found her face down. So either the killer turned her over or…"

"Dump job" Elliot cut in.

"Exactly", Warner replied before continuing. "I also found traces of Chloroform in her system, along with small cotton fibers lodged in her throat. It's most likely she was subdued with a Chloroform-soaked rag. My guess is your perp knocked her out and transported her somewhere, where he raped and killed her. Then he loaded her body back into the vehicle and dumped her in the alley she was discovered in."

"Okay" Olivia said, speaking for the first time since she'd received the print-out. "Anything else?"

"There is one thing…" Warner began, the confusion evident in her voice. "I found several long hairs on your victim's body. I had my lab tech run them for DNA, but he couldn't come up with anything. They had no roots, so, they were no good for DNA; but from the strand colour, type, and width, he said it was safe to assume they belonged to White…"

"So the perp pulled some of her hair out in the struggle, what's so strange?" Elliot asked.

"That's the thing. These hairs hadn't been pulled out…they'd been cut, most likely with scissors."

"Are you telling us he cut her hair?" Elliot asked, obviously surprised. Warner shrugged.

"Until the evidence tells me otherwise…it looks that way."

"But…why?" Elliot questioned.

"I tell you the who, the when, the how and the with what…the why is up to you guys." the M.E. answered simply.

Bewildered, Olivia and Elliot exited the coroner's office and headed for their car. It wasn't until they had started driving that Elliot noticed how unusually quiet Olivia was. Debating the possible outcomes, Elliot decided to risk asking her about it.

"Hey Liv, you okay?" he inquired, attempting to sound as casual as possible.

"Hu? Oh, oh yeah I'm fine." Olivia answered totally unconvincingly.

Elliot decided to press her. "You sure…you've been quiet ever since Warner gave you her print-out on Ainslie White."

Olivia sighed; there was little she could keep from Elliot Stabler. "Look, I'm sure it's nothing…"

He gave her a stern look. "Forgive me if I don't take your word for it."

Olivia sighed. "Apparently Ainslie White is a trainer at Bluesdale Fitness on 5th Avenue; that's where the work card was from. That's uh, that's my gym. I go there, after work…three or four times a week usually…" her voice trailed off. "…I just, can't believe I didn't recognize her." she added hastily.

Elliot let this new information sink in. He knew the fact that Olivia hadn't recognized the victim wasn't what was really troubling her. Ainslie White may not have ever been working the days Olivia visited the gym. No, that wasn't it at all. The fact that Ainslie White worked at Olivia's gym period was the problem. With the white box, the rose, and the stalkeresque note fresh in their minds; could they really chalk the victim's ties to Olivia up to coincidence?


	3. Like You

**A/N:** Hey, it's Trinity. I just wanted to say thanks for the great reviews! seriesfanatic, Scarlette O'Hara, Tennessee, LivElRocks, hpjsr, Dramawitsvu17, you guys are all awesome! I really appreciate your feedback, and look forward to hearing from you guys (and hopefully some new readers) again soon. Anyway, without further ado, here's the new chapter! R&R

**10:00 a.m.**

**Special Victims Unit Squad Room**

**Tuesday, June 28**

"So where are we on this?" Captain Cragen asked his four detectives who were each sitting at their desks.

"Vic's name is Ainslie White", Olivia began, walking over to the whiteboard. She erased 'Jane Doe' from under Ainslie's picture and replaced it with the young woman's real name. "She was a trainer at Bluesdale Fitness. I've been checking Missing Persons, doesn't look like anybody's filed a report for her yet, but I mean, she's only been dead a few hours."

"Family?" Cragen inquired.

"None that we've been able to locate yet…we're still looking." answered Detective John Munch.

"She wasn't married, we're not sure about boyfriends. She lived alone in an apartment on the west side." Detective Odafin Tutola added.

"Okay. Munch, Fin, head over to White's apartment, there might be something there that can help us. Stabler, I want you and Benson to ask around at her work, find out the last time they saw her. Come on people, let's get a move on this!"

**10:30 a.m.**

**Apartment of Ainslie White**

**Tuesday, June 28**

Joshua Reynolds unlocked his girlfriend's apartment using his newly-received key. He opened the door and stepped into the small foyer. He moved to take off his shoes, but froze in his tracks when he heard male voices coming from the other room.

"Nothing much here..." said one of the men. Joshua heard rustling coming from the bedroom closet.

"Wait - what's this?" asked the other man.

His heart racing, Josh considered his options. There were at least two, possibly three strange men in his house, presumably robbers. The way he saw it; he could either attempt to sneak back out the front door, and risk being heard (it was truly a miracle no one had heard him enter)…or, he could do the brave, manly thing and confront these intruders. Ignoring the voice that told him he was being unbelievably foolish, Joshua decided on confrontation. Silently, he crept from the foyer into the kitchen. He slid open the third drawer on a wooden cabinet and pulled out a small black box. Josh undid the silver latch and opened the top, revealing a brand-new revolver. Inhaling sharply, he lifted the gun from its case and held it in a shaky hand. Terrified, Josh walked noiselessly toward the bedroom. Mustering all of his courage, he held the gun straight out in front of him and leapt into the room.

"Freeze!...Don't move and nobody gets hurt!" Joshua shouted, his volume hardly concealing the shake in his voice. "Turn around slowly and don't try anything! I'm not afraid to shoot!"

Confused and more than a little concerned, Detectives John Munch and Fin Tutuola slowly turned to face the gun-wielding man.

"I don't know how you two got in here but I'm calling the police!" Joshua continued. In another vain attempt to sound confident he added, "you guys chose the wrong house to rob!"

With eyebrows raised, the two detectives turned to look at each other.

"Listen man, we're not criminals…we're cops. Now put the gun down." Fin said slowly, looking the man in the eyes.

Rather uncertainly Joshua replied, "I don't believe you."

"We're here investigating the murder of Ainslie White. We were led to believe this was her apartment…" Munch's voice trailed off.

Joshua's eyes widened with shock. "Ainslie? Ainslie's…dead?" he exclaimed, obviously horrified. Realizing he'd lowered his weapon, he attempted to regain himself. "Show me your badges." he said slowly.

"Okay, I'm going to undo my jacket to show you my badge…" Munch replied, his eyes flicking to the gun that was still pointed at him. "Don't shoot."

With as few movements as possible, Munch unbuttoned his jacket, revealing a gold NYPD badge hanging off of a thin silver chain. Gun still raised, Joshua inched forward to inspect the badge. Realizing it was indeed authentic, he hurriedly dropped his weapon to the floor. Fin kicked the gun away as the man broke down.

"Oh my God, I am so sorry! What have I done? I just, I thought, you two…you were in here and I didn't know…Ainslie!" Joshua began to sob, the events of the last ten minutes finally catching up to him. Unfortunately sympathy had never really been a specialty of Munch or Fin.

"Okay, so let me get this straight…you break in to Ainslie White's apartment, point your gun at two detectives and accuse _them_ of being criminals…?" Fin asked sarcastically.

"I am really sorry about that…" Joshua began, fighting back more tears. "It was a misunderstanding…I live here see… Ainslie's my girlfriend; she gave me a key to her place not even a week ago. I came home, and heard you guys rustling around in the closet…I jumped to conclusions…I assumed you were robbing us…"

Munch turned to him. "I'm hoping you've got a permit for that gun."

"Yes, yes of course. I bought it a year ago, for protection." Josh answered somewhat sheepishly.

"Listen, no offence but gun or no gun, you aren't all that intimidating. Next time, call the cops." Munch told him bluntly.

Joshua nodded, ashamed of his foolish thinking. His thoughts did not linger on his actions for long however. "I can't believe she's dead. Do you know, what, what happened to her?"

"She was murdered late last night. We haven't got many details yet…you could help us out by telling us the last time you saw her." Munch answered.

"Um…last night. She uh, got home from work about 10, and was only here long enough to freshen up and get changed. She was going out partying with a friend…I was gonna go with her, but she wanted it to be a girl's night out you know? I should've…I should've been there…I…" he trailed off, his mind sudden flooded with feelings of guilt.

"It wasn't your fault. There's nothing you could've done." Munch said simply. The man stifled a sob in reply.

"Listen, do you mind if we take a few things with us back to our lab? It might help you know, with the investigation." Fin asked, wasting no time.

"Sure, yeah…anything to help." the man choked out.

Ten minutes later the detectives had taken the few things of interest they'd found, including the box of mysterious letters Munch had been in the process of collecting when Joshua had entered the room, and were heading back to the precinct. They would send CSU by later to do a full sweep of the house, but it didn't look to them like there was much more to be found there.

**  
10:35 a.m.**

**Bluesdale Fitness**

**Tuesday, June 28**

Around the same time Detectives Munch and Fin were being accused of breaking and entering, Elliot and Olivia were stepping into the foyer of Olivia's gym. Elliot glanced around. The reception area was small, composed mainly of a large wooden desk positioned close to the back wall and a small potted plant sitting in a corner. The entire area was illuminated with several far-too-bright fluorescent lights that hung from the high ceiling. Detectives Benson and Stabler strode purposefully over to the desk behind which sat a young woman. As Olivia approached the desk the woman greeted her, an air of familiarity but not quite friendliness in her voice.

"Hello Ms. Benson. Will you be requiring a guest pass for your friend today?" the woman asked, giving Elliot the once-over with her eyes.

"No, no. I'm here on duty, NYPD business. This is my partner, Elliot Stabler." Olivia replied.

The woman glanced at Elliot again before asking, "Police business? What is this about?"

"We're investigating the murder of this woman." Elliot answered, handing a headshot of the victim over to the receptionist. "Ainslie White…we were told she worked here."

The receptionist looked at the photo in surprise. "Yes…yes, Ainslie works here…worked here…" she trailed off. "I can't believe she's dead."

"We were wondering if you could tell us the last time she was working." Olivia said after a moment.

"Umm…" the woman began skimming through the work logs. "Yesterday…she was here until nine."

Elliot quickly jotted that down on his notepad. "Thanks."

"No problem. Anything I can do to help…"

Olivia nodded. "Okay…Had Ainslie been having any problems at work lately? Issues with customers? Anyone bothering her?" she asked.

The woman shook her head slightly. "Not that I knew of. But I was rarely working when Ainslie was in. You might want to check with Sophie. Sophie Bendez, she's a trainer here too…I know they were close."

Elliot wrote down the name. "Any idea where we can find Sophie?"

"Yeah just a second." the receptionist said as she punched a few keys into her computer. "She lives downtown…43 Mellington Ave."

"Thanks a lot." Elliot replied as he scribbled down the address. He looked up to see the receptionist staring at the picture of Ainslie he had given her. The two detectives turned to leave when she spoke.

"Why did you guys do that?" she asked quietly. Olivia and Elliot looked at each other, confused.

"Do what?" Olivia asked.

"Cut her hair…and dye it." the woman answered, still looking at the autopsy photo.

The detectives were now utterly perplexed. "You mean, her hair wasn't brown when you saw her?"

"No…Ainslie's a natural blonde. And she was still blonde when I watched her leave last night. And her hair was much longer…"

"Is there any chance she was going to get it dyed last night, after she left work?" Olivia asked, the confusion evident in her voice.

The woman shook her head firmly. "No way. Ainslie was always very proud of the way she looked, including her hair. That was one of the few things I knew about her. She wouldn't have changed it for the world."

"Okay, uh, thanks, you've been a great help." Elliot said to the receptionist before he and Olivia left the gym, struggling to digest the new information.

As they reached the car, Olivia ventured to ask what they were both thinking. "So…it looks like our perp dyed her hair, and then cut it?" Olivia asked incredulously.

"Well, that would explain the cut hairs the M.E. found on the vic's body." Elliot answered.

"But, it makes no sense." Olivia said, shaking her head. "Why would he cut her hair…and dye it brown?"

Elliot suddenly remembered his thoughts from the coroner's office. He stopped dead in his tracks. "To make her look like you."


	4. In Shining Armour

**A/N: Hey guys, sorry I haven't updated in a while, I was having writer's block and it just wasn't worth wrecking the story to write when I didn't have any good ideas…anyway, I think I'm done with that now as I couldn't seem to stop writing this chapter…it's pretty long. Okay, well it's my favourite chapter so far so I hope you enjoy it! And again, thanks so much for the great reviews, you guys are awesome.**

The drive back to the squad room was a quiet one. Olivia stared out of the window and contemplated how best to convince Captain to keep her on the case. After this most recent revelation, there was no doubt in her mind that Elliot was going to spill to Cragen. Elliot on the other hand, struggled to keep his eyes on the road as the gravity of the situation set in - this guy meant business.

**12:00 p.m.**

**Special Victims Unit Squad Room**

**Tuesday, June 28**

"Alright, so what do we know about this guy?" Cragen inquired, gesturing to the autopsy photos of Ainslie White now posted on the whiteboard.

The detectives looked around somewhat sheepishly. "…not too much Captain." Elliot finally replied.

Cragen sighed. "I want answers people." The four detectives nodded. "So, what _do_ we know?" he asked impatiently.

Elliot opened his mouth to speak when he caught Olivia's gaze. Once again he faltered under the scrutiny of her silently pleading eyes.

"Well, we met the boyfriend…" Munch began.

"Yeah, real tough guy." Fin cut in. The two detectives sniggered before Munch continued.

"He claims the last time he saw Ainslie was around 10 o'clock last night. Says she was going out partying with friends."

"Any idea who she was with?" Cragen prompted.

Munch shook his head. "Boyfriend didn't mention any names…"

"Well, a coworker gave us the name of her best friend - uh…Sophia Bendez", Elliot cut in, flipping through his notebook. "It sounded like if any one would know, it would be her."

"Good. I'm hoping you've got an address?" Cragen asked rather expectantly. Elliot simply nodded in reply. "Right, so is that everything?"

"Well, we found a box of suspicious letters at White's apartment. Not sure how relevant they'll be but we're gonna go through them this afternoon." Fin piped up. Cragen nodded his approval. All eyes then turned to Elliot and Olivia, waiting to hear what else they'd found.

Elliot sighed. This was it, he had no choice. No matter how angry Olivia would be, he had to tell Cap what he knew. Not only was he growing more concerned for Olivia's safety, but what he knew was far too important to the investigation of Ainslie White's murder to keep it secret. He wasn't willing to put this case as well as Olivia's life in jeopardy because of her begging eyes…no matter how pretty he might think they were.

"I think," Elliot began, desperately avoiding Olivia's gaze, "we've found evidence to suggest we've been investigating this case with the wrong assumptions..."

Fin raised his eyebrows, obviously confused at this awkward opening statement. "What kind of assumptions?"

With another sigh, Elliot continued. "For instance, we were wrong in assuming that this was a random attack, or that, Ainslie White was the only intended target…"

Cragen shook his head in confusion. "Who else was a target?"

A final sigh. "Olivia." Elliot then proceeded to relay all of the evidence they'd encountered so far, from the note to the dye job. The words poured out of his mouth like a river after it's broken down a dam. "This guy's not kidding around." he added, as though the perp's actions were not enough proof of that.

When Elliot finished speaking, the squad room was silent. Olivia sat glaring at her desk with such ferocity it was surprising it didn't catch fire. Munch and Fin were wide-eyed, and more than a little shocked at what they'd just heard, whilst Capt. Cragen was utterly infuriated.

"At what point did you two decide it would be okay to withhold crucial evidence from two detectives you're supposed to be working with, as well as the Captain of this squad?" he snapped, the anger evident in every syllable. "Benson, if you're willing to risk putting your life in the hands of a madman then so be it. But you will _not_ stall this entire investigation by keeping such important evidence to yourself. _Whatever_ your reasons may have been!" he added, noting that Olivia had been opening her mouth to speak.

"Stabler," Cragen began, rounding on Elliot. "You've always had a knack for breaking the rules but I can't say I've ever been more disappointed in you. Risking your partner's life and willfully delaying an investigation are not your average rule-bending offences!" he paused and took a deep breath before continuing, slightly more calmly. "As of now, Benson, you're off the case. No arguments." Olivia remained glaring at her desk. "Stabler, I'm keeping you on only because we need the manpower. As soon as I can find someone to replace you, I will." The tone of those last words was so menacing that not even Elliot dared to argue.

"Now, I want everyone to get back to work and I expect some movement on this case! Munch, Fin you guys have a look through those letters. Stabler, I want you to visit the best friend. Benson - " he paused, "hopefully you've got some paperwork to do." With that, Cragen stormed into his office and slammed the door.

For the first time since the whole ordeal began Olivia looked up from her desk. Her eyes met Elliot's briefly and he noted their watery appearance. "Olivia", he began.

"Don't." she cut in.

Elliot quickly realized she was in no mood for apologies right now and decided he'd try again later. Silently he stood, grabbed his coat from the back of his chair and headed for the apartment of Sophia Bendez.

**1:30 p.m.**

**Apartment of Sophia Bendez**

**Tuesday, June 28**

Even as Elliot rounded the corner onto Sophia's street he knew something was wrong. There were two marked NYPD cars as well as an ambulance onto which a gurney was being loaded parked in the middle of the road. Somehow, he knew which house they were there for.

Elliot parked his car near the curb behind the two cop cars already positioned there. He stepped out of the car and was immediately greeted by a uniformed officer. "'Scuse me Sir, but this is a crime scene." he said, gesturing toward the yellow crime scene tape circling the house and the yard. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Elliot flicked his eyes upward in a sort of exasperated roll before flashing his badge. "Det. Stabler, Special Victims Unit."

The uniform looked confused. "I don't know why anyone woulda called sex crimes…"

Elliot cut him short. "They didn't call me. I was given this address as the residence of a possible witness in an open murder investigation. Can you tell me what happened here?"

The policeman didn't answer but waved Elliot on in under the tape. "Looks like a B&E gone bad. Robbery detectives Smith and Jones are inside, they've got details."

Elliot nodded and began heading up the walkway towards the front door. He could feel the crunching of broken glass under his feet as he walked through the now open doorway. It was obvious the perpetrators had smashed their way in. Once inside, he took a quick glance around. The house had been completely ransacked. Couches had been ripped open, pictures had been torn from the walls, objects had been hurled out of cupboards. It looked more like an over-the-top vandalism than a robbery - whoever had done this had wanted to make themselves known.

"Can I help you?" a voice called from the stairs. Elliot looked up to see a burly man, somewhere in his mid 40's or 50's, dressed uncannily similarly to himself.

"Detective Stabler, Special Victims Unit." Elliot stated, moving towards the staircase.

The man looked puzzled but replied, "Detective Jones, Robbery Unit." As neither of the detectives were really interested in small talk, Det. Jones cut right to the chase. "What brings sex crimes here?"

"I was given this address as the residence of a Sophia Bendez…I was really hoping to speak with her." Elliot found himself explaining once again.

"You just missed her." Det. Jones replied simply. "Ambulance is taking her Roosevelt right now…" Jones must have noticed Elliot's eyes widening as he then proceeded to add, "don't worry, nothing serious. She's got some superficial wounds, but he left her pretty much untouched."

It took a second before Elliot's brain registered the pronoun _'he'._ "Wait, you mean one man did all this? How can you be sure…?"

"Sophia was here and conscious the entire time. 'Round 11:00 this morning, she's upstairs doing some cleaning when she hears breaking glass. The man had broken a window pane in the door to unlock it see. Anyway, he comes in, uses only enough force to get her into a chair, then he duct tapes her to it. She sits there, bound but unharmed for an hour as he destroys her house. She says that there was no reason behind the madness…it was as though he was out to make the biggest mess possible, like he was showing off."

Confused, Elliot prodded for more information. "The uniform outside told me it was a botched break and enter…what did he take?"

Det. Jones smiled. It was a strange smile, one that certainly had nothing to do with being happy. "That's where things get weird." he replied slowly. "He didn't _take_ anything…"

Elliot shook his head. Where previously he had been confused, he was now completely bewildered.

Det. Jones nodded, reading the puzzlement evident on Elliot's face. "I know…and you haven't even heard the strangest part. I mean, the guy leaves a message on the mirror, like he somehow _knows_ who it's addressed to is going to…wait." Jones stopped abruptly, his eyes widening. "What did you say your name was?"

"…Stabler, Elliot Stabler." Elliot replied, not understanding why it mattered.

Detective Jones attempted to conceal his emotions with a stone-face born of years of interrogating suspects. Unfortunately, it did not have the desired effect and Elliot was able to see the shock and realization registering across his face. "You better come with me." Jones said quietly.

**1:30 p.m.**

**Special Victims Unit Squad Room**

**Tuesday, June 28**

Olivia Benson sat at her desk, mulling through stacks of unfiled reports and thinking only of ways to shred them up. She sighed. She was being unreasonable. After all it wasn't the paper's fault she was sitting alone in a mostly-empty squad room. Not the paper's fault at all…in fact, she knew exactly whose fault it was. That no-good traitor of a partner of hers just couldn't keep his mouth shut! Olivia could practically feel the anger mounting inside her, clawing its way up at the thought of the conversation with Cragen. That is, until she felt it being topped by something else - a stronger emotion that she just couldn't place. It was as if the worst part about the whole ordeal was that it had been _Elliot_ that had betrayed her. Somehow, Olivia couldn't help feeling that desk duty would've been so much easier to take if it hadn't been _him_ that had abandoned her She quickly chalked this feeling up to "it's because we're partners…" But the feeling was still there, rooted somewhere in the pit of her stomach. "We're partners. That's it. Nothing more." The feeling didn't seem to agree.

"Benson," the voice of her Captain woke Olivia from her thoughts. She looked up in reply. "I just got a call about a possible sexual assault in a small warehouse on 34th street. Stabler's at Bendez's apartment, Munch and Fin are at One Police Plaza going through those letters with a forensic specialist, so you're all I've got. I'm putting you on this one temporarily, get moving." The iciness in Cragen's voice was clear. Olivia stood up without a word, took the note scribbled with the details from her Captain's hand and headed for the door. She barely acknowledged the fact that she was being sent to a warehouse alone, having not even a partner to back her up. Cragen it appeared, so focused on being angry at his detective, had not realized this at all.

**1:33 p.m.**

**Apartment of Sophia Bendez**

**Tuesday, June 28**

Detective Jones led the way up the short grey-carpeted stair case and onto the top floor. Elliot followed closely behind as the detective led him through the ruined master bedroom, past the lone chair that still bore remnants of duct tape and into the bathroom. Here, Jones stopped and jerked his head toward the large mirror covering most of the left-hand wall. "This mean anything to you?"

Several miles away Olivia was stepping out of her car and walking to the warehouse door at the same time Elliot turned his head toward the mirror. His eyes scanned the first line as she banged on the door and announced her presence. _"Det. E. S.: You've always been"_, the message began. Elliot's eyes shifted to the next line, his breath caught in his throat. Olivia proceeded to open the door - it was unlocked.

"_Her knight in shining armour,"_ She entered the warehouse, gun at the ready.

"_even if you didn't know it."_ Elliot could feel the fear rising in his chest.

"_She's always"_ Olivia heard the door closing behind her. She whirled around in time to see the last sliver of light disappear as the door clicked shut.

"_counted on you."_ It was dark now, too dark to see. Olivia was fumbling for her flashlight when she felt the hand slide over her mouth.

"_But not this time."_


	5. Never

**A/N: Hey guys, listen I know it's been forever. Unfortunately school takes priority over fics… Anyways, I've finally gotten this chapter finished. I'm pretty happy with how it came out - I hope you guys like it. Thanks so much for all the great reviews**! _chloe, crazedphsycooffics, Alaska, __Riker15__LuckyDucky20__BrittanyLS__Miss Deeds__Stratocruiser__, DKG, __hpjsr__rosa lunae__YankeesLover__Lady Padfoot II__, BriBri, __christopher-meloni-freak__volleylover__Ducky Burt 00__psalm57__tia-ballerina__SVUlover18__SouthrnBelle__PoetryxxPrincess__LivElRocks a lot__FoxyWombat__, Scarlette O'Hara, Tennessee and __Dramawitsvu17_

**You guys are awesome…hope to you hear from you again. Anyways, on with the story - enjoy!**

**P.S. My beta has been out for forever and I really wanted to post this so please forgive any mistakes…I tried my best to edit it. Feel free to lemme know if there's errors.**

**2:00 p.m.**

**Apartment of Sophia Bendez**

**Tuesday, June 28**

Mouth open, eyes wide Elliot stood gaping at the mirror. Slowly the shock gave way to full-scale panic. He groped around wildly in his pockets until his fingers found the smooth cover of his cell phone. He snapped the phone open, his fingers hurrying to dial the familiar number of Olivia's cell. It rang. Once, twice, three times. "C'mon 'Liv…pick up the phone…pick up the phone damnit!" She didn't.

Trying vainly to calm himself Elliot took a deep breath and decided to call Cragen. After all Olivia could still be in the office, or maybe she simply hadn't heard her phone…for the first time…ever.

"Capt. Cragen, Special Victims Unit."

"Cap it's me."

"Elliot." Cragen's voice was cold and stiff. Elliot failed to notice or at any rate, didn't care.

"Where's Olivia?" The words came out tight and strained.

"Wh…"

"Olivia! Is she there? Where is she?"

"I sent her to investigate a call that came in about half an hour ago. Why?"

"Alone? You sent her _alone_?"

In his former anger Captain Cragen had hardly noticed the flaw in his thinking. Now however, his decision to send an unsupported detective to a warehouse to investigate an anonymous call seemed completely ridiculous. "I…what's the matter Elliot? What's going on?"

"Cap we gotta find her. Where's the warehouse?"

"Elliot. What is - "

"There's no time!" Elliot Stabler had abandoned all reason. "Tell me where the warehouse is!" he shouted into the phone as he bolted out of Bendez's house.

"34th street, number 452." Cragen replied calmly. "I'll meet you there." But Elliot had already hung up the phone.

**2:20 p.m.**

**Abandoned Warehouse**

**Tuesday June 28th**

"Police open up!" Elliot flung open the warehouse door and entered, gun at the ready. He stepped into the dark warehouse flanked by his Captain, also with gun poised. Cragen fumbled along the side wall with his free hand for a short while and by some miracle came across the power switch. The large room slowly came to life as the fluorescent bulbs flickered on.

"Detective Benson?" Cragen called out, straining to see Olivia in the slowly-lightening room. "Benson?"

Elliot hurried forward. "Olivia? Olivia are you here?"

Even as the lights struggled to reach their full potential the men knew their calls were useless. Olivia wasn't in the warehouse.

**3:20 p.m.**

**Special Victims Unit Squad Room**

**Tuesday, June 28**

Captain Donald Cragen looked solemnly from one detective to the next. "We're gonna find her." None of the four so much as flinched. The whole situation seemed so…surreal. Olivia wasn't missing…she couldn't be. That sort of thing didn't happen to people as strong-willed as her.

"What does he want with her?" Munch's strangely smooth voice broke the silence.

"We don't know…" Cragen began.

"Well we certainly know what happened to Ainslie White!" Elliot snapped, gesturing wildly at her photo on the whiteboard.

"Elliot man, we can't be sure why he took Olivia." Fin said, standing slowly.

Elliot was furious. "He kidnapped Ainslie White, made her look like Olivia and _killed_ her! I think we can be pretty damn sure!"

"Elliot, this wasn't your fault." Dr. George Huang had entered the room completely unnoticed by its frantic occupants.

"What?" Elliot spun around to face the FBI psychiatrist.

"You're angry because you think Olivia's disappearance is your fault. You're blaming yourself for what's happened." Huang's matter-of-fact voice seemed to push Elliot over the edge.

"I'm angry because some _sicko_ has my partner God only knows what he's doing to her! She'll be dead if we don't get our asses moving and find her!"

"Elliot!" Cragen boomed. "We all want to find Olivia. Now sit down and listen to my instructions." Amazingly, Elliot did as he was told. "Munch, Fin tell me you got something out of those letters…"

"Lab managed to pull a print off the envelope of one. We ran it through AFIS and got a hit off a workplace card…a Jackson Crane from Manhattan." Fin could hardly conceal the excitement in his voice. This was the first solid lead they'd had in the case.

"Before we get too worked up" Cragen said, shooting a glance at Fin, "can we be sure the print is relevant? Maybe Jackson Crane is one of Sophia's ex-boyfriends and she just never ditched his letters…"

Munch picked a copy of one of the letters up off his desk and began to read. " 'I can not wait until we meet face to face. To have you at my mercy will make all the planning, all those nights spent watching, all my attention to detail worth while. I never stop thinking about you and the fun we'll have together. Enjoy your freedom while you can Olivia - I'm always just around the corner.' " The four detectives shivered involuntarily. "I think we can be pretty damn sure…" Munch finished.

After a pregnant pause Cragen finally broke the silence that had enveloped the squad room. "Please tell me you've got an address for this guy" he said quietly.

"24th and Lexington…apartment number 156." replied Fin.

"Right well let's get over there!" Cragen commanded. The three detectives were already out the door.

**4:00 p.m.**

**Apartment of Jackson Crane**

**Tuesday, June 28**

"Mr. Crane!" Elliot hollered at the closed of door of apartment 156. "Mr. Crane it's the police open up!" The door remained closed.

The detectives were in no mood to wait; Olivia could be in that very room. "Last chance Crane!" Fin shouted. Three seconds later the door was broken off two of its hinges.

The detectives were totally unprepared for the sight that met them inside apartment. The pungent odour of blood greeted them as they stepped through the doorway. Elliot flicked on a light switch. John inhaled sharply. Two large pools of blood were splashed across the floor. More blood was splattered against the back wall. In the center of the room sat a chair, remnants of duct tape still visible on the arm rests and front legs. On the floor beside the chair a lamp lay smashed on its side, blood and skin fragments noticeable on its broken pieces.

"Bastard." Elliot cursed under his breath.

"Looks like we found where Ainslie White was killed." John said solemnly.

Fin went ahead and cleared the room while Elliot radioed for a crime scene unit. All three detectives returned to the precinct disheartened. They had found a blood bath of a murder scene yes, but nothing that was bringing them any close to finding Olivia. So wrapped up in their own thoughts of worry and frustration were they that not a single man noticed the flaw in their conclusion about apartment 156.

**7:00 a.m.**

**Special Victims Unit Squad Room**

**Wednesday, June 29**

Munch, Fin, Stabler and Cragen sat in the precinct in silence. None had been able to sleep. Stabler hadn't even bothered to leave the squad room.

Munch stared at Olivia's empty desk. His thoughts fluttered back to that day so many years ago when he'd made a jab at why Olivia had left the "Father" side of her life insurance policy blank. He remembered Elliot pulling him to the side of the room and telling him to lay off. _"All she knows is that her father is the man who raped her mother."_ God, he was such an idiot…John Munch, forever the cynic.

Cragen looked forlornly at the door, half believing Olivia would simply come bursting through any minute. He felt so guilty he could hardly stand it. Last night he had wanted a drink so badly. His last words to Olivia ran through his head like a broken record, each syllable punctuated with another nauseating wave of guilt. _"…you're all I've got. I'm putting you on this one temporarily, get moving."_ Damnit! How could he have been so blind? Sure, send a lone detective to an empty warehouse to investigate an uncorroborated anonymous crime tip. This entire thing was his fault. He was the captain who had sent a detective to her doom.

Elliot stared at the whiteboard. 'Olivia Benson' was scrawled at the top. Beneath it was blank. Utterly blank. How could they not have a single lead? The love of his life was being held in the hands of a maniac and he didn't have a single lead. Wait. Love? He didn't love Olivia Benson. Not his longtime partner, best friend and closest confidant Olivia Benson. Never.

Elliot shook his head. Now was not the time to be confused. He turned his head to look at the board with 'Ainslie White' printed much more neatly on it. Olivia had written that one. Below the name was Ainslie's autopsy photo, the thin deep ligature marks a sharp contrast to the pale white of the rest of her neck. Hold on a second…ligature marks…

Elliot leapt out of his seat. "She was strangled." he muttered. The other heads in the room jerked to face him. "Wha-?"

"She was strangled." Elliot said more audibly, wandering towards the whiteboard. "All that blood we found in Crane's apartment…Ainslie White was strangled. There was no blood involved…"

Shock slowly registered across the detectives' faces. How in the hell could they have missed that?

A young brunette lab technician hurried into the squad room. "I don't mean to interrupt but Dr. Warner asked that I bring this to you right away" she began, waving a brown folder. Four heads turned to face the woman at once. "I'm sorry, but I've got some bad news…" Elliot cringed, his mind had already calculated what she was about to say. "The blood in the apartment wasn't from Ainslie White…it belongs to Olivia Benson."


	6. Of Gauze

**A/N: Hey guys. Listen I'm so sorry I haven't updated in so long. I just haven't had the drive you know? (or the time…) Anyways today I suddenly felt terrible that I'd neglected this story and really wanted to write. So, here you have it. The result of my day's labour - - chapters 6 _and _7. Enjoy!**

**P.S. As always, thanks for all the support - you're reviews are greatly appreciated!**

**P.P.S. I'm expecting there's about three chapters left to go in the fic…don't give up on me, I will finish this story.**

**7:10 a.m.**

**Special Victims Unit Squad Room**

**Wednesday, June 29**

Elliot closed his eyes and exhaled deeply. This wasn't happening. Not to him and definitely not to Olivia. He stumbled backwards into his chair. He looked up into the eyes of the lab tech. His face was drained of all colour. "How much?"

"Excuse me?" the brunette inquired softly.

"How much blood!" Elliot shouted, leaping up. The young woman flinched. Elliot softened and dropped his voice to a whisper. "How much blood did she lose?"

The lab tech flipped open the brown folder and pretended to read. She had memorized the results on her way over but couldn't bear to look at Detective Stabler's pained expression a moment longer. The folder blocked him from view. She took a deep breath. "CSU estimates there was around one and a half quarts of blood in the room, both on the floor and on the walls."

Elliot blanched. This was no surprise, he'd seen the blood. They all had. The pools on the ground, the cast-off on the wall…the bloody lamp. Elliot's next words were slow and deliberate. His own voice sounded foreign to him. "Is she…is she dead?"

Munch shook his head violently. "Elliot stop it…!" A look from Cragen silenced the detective.

The lab tech continued to hide her face behind the folder. She began reciting, as though from an anatomy textbook. "The average person has around 6 quarts of blood. Blood loss is usually fatal when the victim loses 1/3 of their blood…so approximately - "

"2 quarts" Cragen finished.

The tech nodded. Elliot looked up, a flicker of hope in his eyes. "CSU only found one and a half quarts…one and a half…Olivia could still be alive…"

The brunette nodded her head slowly. "It's possible…though she wouldn't last long without medical attention. He wouldn't have been able to transport her, bleeding like that. Wait - " She stopped and tossed the folder on the nearest desk. She began rifling through the pages wildly.

"What? What is it?" Elliot was standing up again. What the hell was this girl doing - he didn't have time for games.

"Here it is." The tech held up a piece of paper, page 7 of the ME's report. "CSU found a piece of gauze under the kitchen table. They figured it was the remnant of a roll of the stuff…couldn't figure out how it got there. Of course, it makes sense now."

"He bandaged her up." Elliot concluded.

The girl nodded.

"But why beat her to within an inch of death and then bandage her up? Why wouldn't he just…finish the job?" Fin asked quietly.

Elliot found the strength to answer the question that nobody wanted to. "Because he isn't finished with her yet. This guy's been planning this for a long time. He's not gonna kill her quickly…"

"Which means that we've still got some time." Cragen cut in.

Elliot nodded. Right, they still had some time. "We gotta find this bastard."

Cragen resumed his role as captain with renewed strength. Olivia was still alive, they still had a chance. "Munch, Fin, where did you say Crane worked?"

"Uh…" Munch answered, flipping through his notebook. "Surebreeze. It's a construction company based out of Long Island."

"You two, get over there. Talk to his bosses, co-workers. See if they know of any alternate residences, places he might go, friends that would take him in."

Munch and Fin grabbed their jackets and strode out of the squad room.

"Elliot I want you to track down next of kin."

Elliot began looking through his own notebook. "He listed a sister in Queen's as an emergency contact for Surebreeze."

"Go."

With his detectives dispersed, Cragen turned to the lab tech that had been gazing wide-eyed around the squad room. "You can go. Thanks for all of your help."

The girl nodded, glad to be out of the spotlight. "I hope you find her."

Cragen closed his eyes. "I hope so too."


	7. Some Timing

**10:00 a.m.**

**Home of Sylvia Crane**

**Wednesday, June 29**

Elliot jogged up the path to the small bungalow in Queen's. He prayed that Crane's sister Sylvia could provide some insight as to where her brother might be. They were running out of leads and Olivia was running out of time.

He rang the doorbell. Once…twice…

"Just a minute!", an exasperated voice called from within. Elliot heard a heavy bolt slide. The door opened to reveal a woman in her 30's holding a baby against her hip. "Can I help you?"

"Mum! Tell Billy to give my truck back! I was using it first!" A child called from the other room.

"Nu-uh! It's mine anyways!" Another boy answered.

"Give it!"

"Make me!"

"Boys!" The woman cried. She turned back to face Elliot. "Sorry, who are you?" The baby began to shriek. "Shh…shhh…"

"I'm, uh, Detective Stabler, Special Victims Unit. I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions regarding your brother, Jackson."

The woman's features turned to ice. "Come to throw some more of my family in jail?"

"Wha - "

"Don't even play that card with me. I know how you police guys work. Can't solve a case so just pin it on whoever's convenient! It worked with Ricky so now you've come to collect Jackson for round two. Heck, murderers probably run in the family right? That's a good one, I'll bet a jury'll eat it all up!"

Elliot shook his head. He was confused. "I'm sorry ma'am, I don't know what you're talking about. I don't know of a Ricky. I'm here because your brother, Jackson, may have information pertaining to a missing person case."

"Jackson doesn't know anything." She went to close the door but Elliot stopped it with his hand.

"Please, just tell me where I can find him." Elliot's voice was pleading. "It's a detective that's missing - it's my partner, Detective Benson. She's hurt…bad. Look, if we don't find her soon…she's gonna die."

Sylvia Crane stared into Elliot's eyes. Her voice was cold as she spoke. "Benson? Olivia Benson? She's missing?" She smirked. "I hope that bitch gets what she deserves." She slammed the door.

Elliot simply gaped. He was too confused to be angry at the woman's remarks. How did Sylvia know Olivia? Who was Ricky and what happened to him to make Sylvia so bitter? Better call the Captain. Elliot was searching his pockets for his cell when it began ringing.

"Detective Stabler."

"Elliot, it's me."

"You've got some timing Cap."

"Elliot, you better come back to the precinct. There's something you need to see."

Elliot didn't trust Cragen's tone. "Cap, what's wrong? What is it?"

"Just, come back here Elliot."

**1:00 p.m.**

**Special Victims Unit Squad Room**

**Wednesday, June 29**

Elliot raced back to the squad room. He swerved in and out of traffic doing 10, 15 miles an hour over speed limit. He screeched into the precinct parking lot and bolted up the stairs. He hurried up to Special Victim's floor. Cragen's solemn face met him at the door. "My office."

Elliot allowed Cragen to lead him into his office. Elliot's heart was pounding in his ears. What was going on? Cragen instructed him to sit down. Eventually Elliot's eyes settled on the portable tv. His mind was racing. No…no. "There's a tape?" he managed to croak out.

Cragen nodded gravely. "Arrived on your desk an hour ago." he said softly. "Elliot, I'm showing this to you because you and Olivia have been partners for seven years and you deserve to know what's happening to her. I need you to promise me that you will stay calm."

Elliot was too terrified to speak. He simply sat, eyes transfixed to the screen, dreading what he was going to see. Cragen turned the video on.

The opening shot was a number of blurry images. Elliot groaned as they came into focus. The video was being shot in a dark room with cement walls. It could have been a warehouse, an old factory or an unfinished basement. It was impossible to tell. In the centre of the frame was Olivia, lying on her back, hands chained to the wall above her head. Her clothes were torn and bloody. Her breathing was shallow and sporadic. Her face was bruised and a thick line of blood ran from her hairline, across her forehead and down her cheek.

"'Liv…" Elliot whispered. He felt his eyes begin to sting. "Jesus 'Liv."

A man walked on-screen. He was an average-build, probably about 6 feet. A black ski mask hid his face. "Olivia Benson." He drawled, turning his back to the camera to face her.

Elliot bristled. His mind was screaming. Bastard! I'll kill you, you bastard! Touch her and I'll kill you! But Elliot stayed silent. He needed to stay calm if we wanted to see the rest of the tape.

"The great Detective Benson." The man strode towards her. He knelt down and brushed her hair back with his hand. "How are you feeling?"

Olivia didn't answer. The man struck her across the face. "Answer me bitch." Drawing on some hidden reserve of strength, Olivia lifted her head to face her captor. She drew her mouth back and spat in his face.

Elliot shook his head and felt a tear snake its way down his cheek. She was so proud. "He'll kill you." Elliot whispered. But he knew she didn't care.

The man became enraged. He swung his fists into her face, drove his foot into her side, and pounded his knee into her stomach. Finally, he regained control. "So you want to play that way." He smiled. "Alright, let's play."

The man leaned over Olivia and ripped open her blouse. Buttons clicked as they landed on the floor, having been torn from their fabric. Olivia opened her eyes wide. She began to struggle. For the first time since her abduction, Olivia allowed the man to taste her fear.

The man laughed. "That's more like it. There's always a way to break a person Ms. Benson. You wouldn't submit to pain, but it looks like I've found your Achilles Heel." He smirked and ran his hand along the inside of her leg. She shuddered.

"Now, before we begin, let's get a few things straight. For our audience here." The man gestured to the video camera. "You see, capturing you went far more smoothly than I expected it too. I made the anonymous call about the assault in the warehouse and lay in wait. I was expecting to have to ambush you and your partner. I was expecting there to be bloodshed…" He paused. "And yet, there you were, alone." He turned to face the camera. "Why were you alone Olivia?"

She didn't answer. The man pressed.

"Elliot…where was Elliot, Olivia?"

She shook her head again. Tears were forming in the corners of her eyes.

"He was on another case correct? Tracking down Ainslie White's killer perhaps?"

No answer.

"What? He didn't want to take you with him on the investigation? Or else…maybe he _couldn't_ take you. Maybe you weren't allowed to work on that case anymore?"

Olivia shook her head violently. "No…no…" she muttered.

"Yes Olivia. Yes.", the man smiled again. "You ended up in that warehouse all alone because you weren't allowed to work on the White case with your partner. Now…why would that be? Why did you get taken off of that case?"

"Elliot he…he was just trying to protect me…" Olivia trailed off. She fought back a wave of tears.

The man clapped his hands together, satisfied. "Elliot, of course! Elliot got you taken off the White case. Elliot is the reason you ended up in that warehouse alone." He began trailing his hands down her body. "Elliot is the reason you're here now."

Elliot cupped his hands over his mouth. He was ready to vomit.

"No…no…no! He was only trying - ", she cried.

"To protect you?" The man chuckled to himself as he straddled her small form. "I guess he should've tried harder."

Elliot stared in horror as the screen went blank.


End file.
